


You Are The Reason

by AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, I may have went a tad overboard with it, Slow Dancing prompt (sorta), Was supposed to be a small one shot but here we are 8 pages later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 13:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard/pseuds/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard
Summary: Based on a slow dancing prompt."Yasmin barely missed the shadow of something that crossed the Time Lord's face at the remark, hazel eyes narrowing slightly and jaw clenching for no longer than a fleeting second before her smile was in full bloom again. 'I may have to keep an eye out then, before some dashing lady steals my Yaz away.'"





	You Are The Reason

**Author's Note:**

> After... I don't even know how many weeks has it been, I'm finally back at it. I couldn't stand having a pile of WIP's literally glaring at me so I've been trying to finally make a dent. This one is part of a collab fic and I may write maybe one or two more as part of a series with other pairings I ship. 
> 
> But of course first I will deal with my Thasmin one shots that are half done.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this one for now and I apologize if the grammar is a tad messed up. It's not beta'd and it's past one in the morning.
> 
> Shout out to the WishingTree for brainstorming with me and encouraging me to finish something off my big pile :D 
> 
> Actual Notes:  
> \- The song the Doctor is playing on the piano is called 'Remember Me' and is part of the soundtrack from season 7;  
> \- The other song later mentioned is a duet by Calum Scott and Leona Lewis called 'You Are the Reason'.

The majestic ballroom, topped with a beautifully crafted crystal chandelier in the ceiling, had completely taken Yasmin's breath away as she, Ryan and Graham crossed the candle lit threshold into the high vaulted room. The Doctor wasn't kidding when she insisted they all dress up for the occasion, judging by the sparkling cocktail dresses and snazzy tuxedos being worn by the other guests. Their entrance went mostly unnoticed, aside from a few heads turning at the sight of Yaz's stunning tardis blue dress that shimmered as she moved, like she was wearing a piece of the night sky itself. The whispers and the clear looks of envy from some women, topped with the wandering eyes of some men almost made her turn on her heel; but Ryan and Graham, sensing her discomfort, linked their arms with hers and proudly escorted her through the small crowd, heads held high.

 

A small smile graced her features at the gesture, feet steadily carrying her through the room, brown eyes searching for that one face she longed to see the most. The Doctor had left earlier, a note in her neat handwriting letting them know she would be waiting inside the ballroom but not specifying _where_ exactly she would be at; which was a shame, really, judging by the size of the area they would have to comb through. And the worst part? They had absolutely no idea what she was even wearing.

 

Yaz found herself inevitably steered towards the buffet, because of course that would be the area of the room that would have peaked the boys interest. Long tables filled with all sorts of meat and fish dishes, along with several fruits and sweets sat lined against one of the walls, a few tables and chairs nearby inviting people to just sit and have a bite. She felt Graham and Ryan letting go of her and immediately going on an animated discussion about what they would try first, their eyes poised on the food in front of them. She fixed them with an exasperated face, hands on her hips ready to reprimand.

 

“We are supposed to be looking for the Doctor and you two want to eat?”

 

Graham turned to face her, a perfectly cooked chicken drum already in his hand. “Can't go search with an empty stomach now, can we? Mind as well grab a bite.”

 

“Yeah I mean, look at the size of this place!” Ryan spoke, gesturing wildly around them. “Could take us hours to find her in here.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “You're exaggerating but okay, suit yourselves. I'll go take a look around then while you two stuff your faces silly.” They both opened their mouths to protest, but she just continued. “Just make sure to stay around here while I'm gone.”

 

Yaz turned on her heel, about to make her way back into the crowd, when she felt a hand gently touching her arm. Ryan fixed her with a worried look as their gazes met, his eyes briefly scanning the crowd before they landed on her again. “Will you be okay? All by yourself?”

 

“I'll be fine, promise.” She smiled at his concern. “It was just the initial shock, really. I'm okay now but thanks for asking. I won't be long, just going to circulate a bit around the place to see if I can spot the Doctor.”

 

He squeezed her arm gently. “Okay.” His hand retreated, resting limp at his side.

 

“Okay.” She echoed, more to herself than anything as she faced the gathering of people once more and took a step forward, followed by another. Soon she was nothing but another face among the strange assemblage of people.

 

**O0O0O0O**

 

Yasmin found herself drawn closer to the middle of the room, where some men and women held each other and danced the night away, movements slow and completely in sync with the soft ballad that filled the air. The lights on the massive chandelier had been dimmed somehow, casting the impromptu dance floor in a lower light than the rest of the room, creating just about the right atmosphere for couples. She took note on how close they stood, the gentle touches and knowing looks, the smiles like shared secrets... Her chest felt suddenly heavy with a longing, a reminder of the prom she had never got to attend during high school.

 

She was aware enough to spot a gentleman clocking her, from the corner of her eye. He sat on one of the small golden tables by the dance floor, decorated with beautiful red and white roses. Judging by the empty chair next to his own, he was either by himself or was fancying a new dancing partner for the evening; Yaz really didn't want to wait around to figure out which was it. So before he even had the chance to stand up and approach her, she made herself scarce back into the crowd.

 

With surprising ease, she managed to navigate herself to the other end of the room, opposite from the area where the boys were enjoying the buffet. It was surprisingly empty and quiet there, save for occasional waiter passing by with an empty tray of glasses or plates. Judging by the small door and corridor their were disappearing into, she assumed that was where the kitchens were located, which explained why no one was around. It was just the perfect spot to take a breather, she mused as she leaned against the white marble pillar there, immediately shivering as the cool stone made contact with her bare back. Not a moment later did the sound of claps reach her ears, the music that had been playing coming to an end. She could almost picture the happy couples applauding and thanking each other for the dance, the ladies doing small curtsies, their eyes sparkling as they were lead by the hand out of the dance floor.

 

She shook her head, chastising herself for having such thoughts when she should be focusing on finding the Doctor.

 

_The Doctor._

 

What was she doing at that moment, Yasmin wondered. Had she found the boys and was she waiting with them for her to return? Or was she sitting somewhere with a small group of intellectuals debating what lay beyond the stars? Perhaps she was by the dance floor, declining invite upon invite from individuals who wished to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room...?

 

Her thoughts drifted to that image, her eyes closing on their own accord as her brain worked on conjuring a scene akin of something out of a romance novel, the Time Lord wearing a dashing suit, surrounded by strangers who were asking and pleading for a dance with her. Her head shook every time, a polite decline leaving her lips. A beautiful love song suddenly began playing on the background as hazel eyes locked on her, the Doctor's face immediately lighting up with a smile, hand outstretched for the take...

 

“ _Yaz...”_

 

Her eyes opened then, wide and frantic as she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. A clammy hand came to rest upon her chest, heart beating so fast she could have sworn it was about to burst out there and then, mind reeling from the image she could still see as clear as day. It wasn't the first time she had imagined the Doctor looking at her _like that,_ far from it actually; but it was only then that the puzzle pieces aligned and the meaning became crystal clear: she had fallen in deep for the mad woman with a police box.

 

**O0O0O0O**

 

The crowd had thinned out considerably when she finally started to make her way back to the boys. The small tables around the impromptu dance floor were now fully occupied, along with the bigger ones closer to the walls, couples and families and friends toasting away and enjoying the food that was being provided. The chatter and laughter nearly drowned out completely the background music, the singers and orchestra having been replaced by a pianist to provide some ambience to what she assumed was dinner time. Luckily, and even though she was strolling closer to the smaller tables, no head turned to acknowledge her presence as she passed by, her heels clicking on the fancy flooring suddenly just a tad too loud to her ears. Yaz stole a glance towards the vacant area in the middle of the room as she passed by, now able to fully admire it in the low light and without the sheer amount of bodies filling the area. Brown eyes took in all the details, from the tall marble columns to the low hanging crystal chandelier, the perfectly polished floor and the small stage occupying the edge of it.

 

And that was when she noticed the figure standing right across from her, on the other side of the dance floor.

 

Her steps halted immediately as she took in the unmistakeably mop of blonde hair and the familiar form of the Doctor. She had her hands deep in the pockets of the pant suit she was wearing and Yaz had to remember to close her mouth as she fully took in the sight of the other woman in a suit. It felt like lightning had struck her the moment their eyes met, even with the reasonable distance between them, the Time Lord flashing her one of those warm smiles that Yasmin was sure were only reserved for her and her only. Or maybe that's what her subconscious believed it to be so, especially now that she had managed to put a name on that strange yet welcoming feeling that warmed her insides and made her heart leap.

 

Of course the spell was broken the moment the Doctor opened her mouth, excitedly shouting Yaz's name while she pushed through the small tables, occasional stopping to whisper an apology as wine, flowers and even plates were knocked over and contents were spilled onto fancy dresses and suits. By the time she started to cross the dance floor _right through_ the middle, a crowd of displeased faces stared in disbelief from both sides of the room, some looking at Yaz as she stood there rooted to the spot, silently willing a hole on the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

 

Yasmin momentarily forgot how to breathe when the Doctor finally stood right in front of her, embarrassment long forgotten when the woman flashed her a smile and actually ran her eyes up and down her body. From up close, she could see that her cheeks had an adorable rosy tint to them, but it was hard to tell if it was just the light, the fact that Doctor had just crossed the dance floor to meet her or the sight of her Tardis blue dress.

 

She secretly hoped for the latter.

 

“I've been looking for you lot for a while. Are you alone? Where are the boys at?”, she asked, face scrunching up for a moment. “They didn't stay in the Tardis and let you come by yourself, right?”

 

Yaz let out a small laugh. “No, they're here, Doctor. They should be by the buffet.”

 

“Of course, the buffet! Why didn't I think of it? Silly me. Guess I'm too used to have Graham carrying his sandwiches around.” She paused for a moment, eyes stealing a glance towards the area where all the food was displayed. “We should probably go meet them before they eat something they definitely shouldn't. Plus, we still have to find out what's wrong with this place, I've been getting the feeling something's off the moment I set foot in the room.”

 

“I haven't seen anything strange yet. Well, if you don't count the lady old enough to be my grandma drunkly flirting with me when I passed the powder room.”

 

Yasmin barely missed the shadow of _something_ that crossed the Time Lord's face at the remark, hazel eyes narrowing slightly and jaw clenching for no longer than a fleeting second before her smile was in full bloom again. “I may have to keep an eye out then, before some dashing lady steals my Yaz away.”

 

Brown eyes widened at the statement almost immediately, brain straining to make sense of the intention behind the Doctor's words. _'My Yaz'._ Had she really said it or had she imagined it? And if she did really said it, was it meant just as a term of endearment or was there a deeper meaning?

 

It was hard not to think there was an undertone to the words when the Time Lord was looking at her like _that_ , all soft eyes and warm smiles, arm now outstretched for her to take.

 

“Shall we?”

 

Yasmin completely forgot about the eyes still on them as she nodded and looped her arm with the Doctor's, the two of them making their way slowly through the small crowd. She didn't miss the odd looks and horrified expressions, followed by the not so subtle whispers; but the Doctor only moved closer and Yaz just held her arm tighter, enjoying the welcoming warmth. She could only imagine how it looked from the outside, a woman wearing a suit walking arms linked with another woman wearing a dress, in a century where little to no understanding about same-sex relationships existed. It was becoming harder to ignore the underlining fear clawing at her insides slowly manifesting the longer they strolled, especially when her eyes made contact with some particularly upset gentlemen.

 

But the Time Lord only smiled at them, to theirs and Yaz's complete disbelief. She was either completely oblivious – alien and all she was – or simply couldn't care less.

 

“They're just jealous.”

 

She was shaken out of her thoughts when the Doctor suddenly spoke, her eyes still lost in the crowd. “What?”

 

“They're jealous.”, she said again, this time glancing towards Yasmin briefly. “Not many here can say they had the privilege of walking or perhaps dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room.”

 

Hadn't she ever heard of the expression _'gay panic',_ she wouldn't have been able to put a name to the spluttering mess she became at that exact moment. And what a sight it must have been, eyes wide as full moons, mouth opening and closing like a fish, a blush rising at an alarming speed from her neck up to her cheeks.

 

She was suddenly very glad Ryan wasn't around to witness it or she wouldn't have heard the end of it, especially when the Doctor ended up throwing a wink her way for good measure.

 

Yaz surprised herself when she managed to muster a coherent sentence in record time. “I didn't dance with anyone, Doctor, so I would say you're the only lucky one then.”

 

The Time Lord stopped abruptly, the buffet tables now in view. “ _Yasmin Khan,_ how could you have not danced?! That's absurd! We'll have to do something about that then!”

 

As in on cue, the orchestra began playing once again and Yasmin mentally cursed their poor timing. All around people stood and cheered, quickly grabbing their dance partners and pulling them towards the dance floor. The Doctor all but smiled at their supposed good fortune, much to her companion's dismay. But before she could tug her away, Ryan and Graham showed up, out of breath and shouting something about 'ninja assassins'.

 

Hell broke loose not even a second later, a cloud of smoke rapidly filling up the area making their eyes water, followed by shouts, screams and the unmistakable sound of blades being unsheathed nearby.

 

**O0O0O0O**

 

The room was completely desert and silent, a sharp contrast to how it had been not even a mere hour before. Tables and chairs – or what remained of them – laid scattered around the room; the once flowing banners and curtains nothing but tattered pieces of cloth, hanging limply from the ceiling and walls. The massive windows had been all smashed in, shards of glass littering the inside of the room, the pieces glowing in the moonlight like precious diamonds. The long row of tables that once had held the buffet stood completely charred from top to bottom, the smell of burned wood still very much present, along with a sort of chemical smell that stubbornly clung to their clothes and the other fabrics in the room.

 

Yaz sat on a chair that she had placed upright again, one of the very few ones that miraculously had survived the chaos intact; Ryan and Graham sat a bit further to her left, sipping from tall glasses of water on a small table that was barely holding together. The Doctor had insisted they needed to hydrate after inhaling the strange alien smoke, which luckily wasn't harmful in any way, aside from the mild eye irritation and the terrible headache that would sure follow.

 

Yasmin's heels hit the floor with a louder _thud_ that she had expected when she kicks them off, the sound echoing through the empty room and making Ryan jump; she immediately shoots an apologetic glance his way, after realizing he almost knocked his glass off the table over it. Brown eyes focus then on her own untouched glass, the same one the Doctor had placed in her hands before excusing herself to go check on a few injured people that had been taken into the kitchens. She prayed they were alright, but a selfish part of her wanted the Time Lord for herself at that moment, the coat draped over her shoulders offering little comfort despite the familiar scent that clung to it.

 

It was astonishing how fast a night could change from a happy and cheerful one to complete chaos in less than a few minutes – she should be used to it by then honestly, if only by the sheer amount of times things tended to go sideways – but tonight it felt different, somehow. Her mind kept replaying hers and the Doctor's interactions just before the incident happened and Yasmin couldn't stop thinking about being nearly dragged to the dance floor by a snazzy looking Time Lord in a suit.

 

 _'That would have been one for the history books'_ , she mused, remembering the looks being shot in their direction by just having their arms linked together. Now imagine two women in love dancing together among the other couples present...

 

_Love._

 

Quite the big word she was using when she wasn't even sure the Doctor felt the same, despite the sudden stream of moments, conversations and touches shared between them flooding into her mind telling her otherwise. But one thing was dealing with unrequited love; other was nursing a broken heart shattered by rejection. It wasn't really a difficult decision to make, especially when she still wanted to be able to travel with the best person she'd ever met, even if she would be stuck loving her from afar.

 

Everything was better than the alternative of confessing, being rejected and leaving the Tardis for good.

 

A soft melancholic melody filled the air barely a moment later, jolting Yasmin out of her thoughts. Her first instinct was to look towards the boys, half expecting Ryan to be holding his phone – she was absolutely sure he had brought it along, despite being told not to – and was surprised to find him and Graham glancing towards the small stage wearing similar completely flabbergasted expressions. From where she was sitting, a rather intricate carved marble pillar stood in front of her field of vision; so she placed her glass of water down and carefully stood, too curious about what could have possibly been enough to make the boys look like they were looking at a sight from the heavens itself.

 

As it turns out, her joking remark couldn't have been more closer to the truth.

 

Bathed in soft, silvery moonlight, right at the centre of stage among fallen chairs, tribunes, scattered music sheets and even flowers, was the Doctor. She sat by the grand piano, her fingers idly hitting the ivory keys at short, paused intervals with purpose. Her sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows, bow tie hanging loose around her neck and from where Yaz stood, she could see that a few buttons on her shirt were undone, the collar now wide and exposing the glistering skin underneath. She looked almost angelic in the light, blonde hair shinning like an halo, eyes closed as she played the same sequence over and over, almost like a whispered mantra.

 

Yasmin only realized she had forgotten how to breath when those hazel eyes slowly opened and focused on her. Even from across the room and in the low light, the intensity of her gaze was palpable and Yaz felt utterly entranced by it, only registering she had moved closer towards the Doctor when her eyes caught the telltale of sweat rolling down the woman's neck before disappearing just below her collarbone. There was a split second of panic where she began wondering what the scene may look like from the point of view of the boys; but her eyes absolutely refused to move away from the Time Lord so she damned the consequences, as one of those smiles that she came to love so much was aimed her way.

 

She found herself carefully navigating the fallen debris next, stepping over the few clean areas on the floor, fully aware that she was barefoot. It took a tad longer than she would have liked but she managed to circle the piano and sat herself next to the Doctor, their shoulders brushing as she did.

 

The melody continued to fill the air, never wavering; not even when Yasmin laid her head gently on the Time Lord's shoulder did her fingers miss a note.

 

**O0O0O0O**

 

From across the room, Ryan and Graham watched the scene unfold. The older man had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye, earning him a teasing remark from his grandson who had pulled out his phone and was now attempting to capture the moment for posterity. He had already managed to record a small video of the Doctor playing but had turned the recording off the moment he had noticed Yaz moving closer and closer towards their alien friend.

 

Maybe more than just an alien friend to her, he concluded as he sat there watching. It would have been wrong and a huge breach of privacy to actually record the entire thing; but he concluded that a picture wouldn't hurt, not when the light was just right and they looked like something straight out of one of those romance films his nan used to watch occasionally on the telly. So he carefully stood when he was sure the Doctor was too absorbed to notice him and snapped a picture or two.

 

It took a few minutes for the melody to stop, the room falling silent once again.

 

The silence that followed only served as a reminder of why the ballroom was so empty and devoid of life in the first place, save for the Doctor, her companions and a few staff that was too busy or maybe just too flat out terrified to leave the kitchens. Ryan watched as the two women moved just enough to fully look at one another, their lips moving every so often. They appeared to be deep in conversation at first glance, but both him and Graham picked up on their awkward gesturing and fleeting stolen glances.

 

“Here I thought this was it...”, Graham spoke, pausing only to let out an exasperated sigh. “They've been going at it for weeks. Weeks! It's getting absolutely ridiculous.”

 

“I know, right? I think a this point we could be dangling a giant sign that said _'Just kiss already!'_ and they wouldn't get the hint.”

 

Graham shook his head in disbelief when the Time Lord awkwardly attempted to fix the jacket draped over Yaz's shoulders and they ended up bumping heads. “I can't watch this any more. I'm too old for this. Can't we do something?”

 

It was then that Ryan started to scroll through his phone, grinning. “I may have an idea. Not sure it's going to work but may be worth the shot.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“You'll see, grandad. But we got to hide out of view for a bit.”

 

He made a pleased noise when he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small speaker from one of his pockets, much to the other man's dismay. But before he could even begin to complain about it, Ryan had hit play and all but dragged him to a darker area of the room, behind a couple of fallen tables.

 

At first nothing happened, as the first notes of the love ballad began to play. The Doctor and Yasmin just sat glancing at the now empty table, with equally confused expressions, probably wondering what was going on; but as the music swelled and the duet carried on, there was a noticeable shift in the air between the two. They looked at each other like they were seeing the other for the very first time and perhaps it was the light, or the adrenaline from earlier or even the music, that made them gravitate closer and closer until their lips brushed.

 

Tentative as it was at first, it gained momentum and that was when Ryan and Graham had the decency to look away; and when the unmistakable sound of clothing hit the floor reached their ears, they went from trying to draw straws with tiny pieces of paper that sat near their feet to an heated contest of rock-paper-scissors to decided which one of them would actually have to stand and clean their throat to announce their presence in the room.

 

**O0O0O0O**

 

It was the sound of the Doctor's jacket hitting the floor that caused them to break apart and awkwardly disentangle from one another, both clearly embarrassed to have lost sight of where they were exactly. The song remained playing – Ryan clearly had left it on a loop - the lyrics now catching their attention as their gazes met once again. Nothing was spoken for there was little need for words; the irony of it wasn't lost to Yaz, not when the Doctor loved to ramble away given the opportunity.

 

But she was indeed surprising quiet, even as she took her companion's hand, laced their fingers together and carefully stood up. Yaz gave her a confused look but stood as well, carefully following the Time Lord off the small stage and onto the dance floor. At first, she assumed they were leaving; but then the other woman stopped right underneath the low hanging crystal chandelier, fished the sonic out of her pocket and pointed it up.

 

It lit up almost instantly with the same low glow as before, except now no one but them stood underneath it.

 

Brown eyes lost themselves in the sparking crystals shining above them for a moment, the Doctor pocketing her sonic and looking immensely pleased with herself from the look of awe she had caused to appear on the other woman's face.

 

Their gazes met once more that night as the same song started anew.

 

“Yasmin Khan, I believe you owe me a dance.”

 


End file.
